Electronic nature of vanadium nitride-carbon cluster composite materials obtained by the calcination of oxovanadylphthalocyanine

Calcination of oxovanadylphthalocyanine at 500-1000 °C under an argon atmosphere was performed. Elemental analyses, XRD and TEM measurements revealed that the calcined materials are composed of nano-sized vanadium nitride and carbon clusters. ESR spectral examinations suggested that the calcined materials have a photo-responsive charge separation feature. The decomposition of methylene blue and trimethylhydroquinone in the presence of the material calcined at 900 °C was accelerated by visible light irradiation. H₂ evolution was detected from a mixture of the calcined material and water under the visible light irradiation.     

Syntheses and Electronic Behaviors of Networked Alternating Aluminum-organic Moiety Hybrid Copolymers

Hybrid copolymers with aluminum-organic moiety frameworks were successfully prepared by reacting aluminum tri-sec-butoxide with several organic diols. The compositions of the resulting copolymers were determined using IR spectroscopy, ICP, elemental analysis and CP/MASS ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The UV-VIS spectra of the copolymers were also obtained. ESR spectral examinations of the copolymers and ab-initio calculations of the copolymer models indicate that an electron transfer takes place from the organic moiety to the aluminum atom in the framework.     

The electronic behavior of calcined material obtained from a manganese-O-phenylene-S-rhenium-S-phenylene hybrid copolymer

The calcinations of a manganese-O-phenylene-S-rhenium-S-phenylene hybrid copolymer under an argon atmosphere at 600–900 °C were carried out. Calcined materials were found to be composed of MnS particles and metallic Re in a matrix of carbon clusters. ESR spectra reveal the calcined materials to have a photoresponsive oxidation–reduction function via the electron transfer process MnS → Re and/or carbon clusters. The surface of the calcined materials was modified with Pt particles and the reduction ability of the resulting materials was examined. It has been found that the material calcined at 800 °C loaded with Pt particles could decompose water under visible-light irradiation.     

Nanostructured bilayer CuSCN@CuI thin films as efficient inorganic hole transport material for inverted perovskite solar cells

In this work, the development of bilayer CuSCN@CuI inorganic hole transport material by a simple electrochemical approach is demonstrated. The thickness and the morphology of the bilayer thin films are controlled by electrochemical potential and deposition time. Uniformly distributed triangle-shaped CuI nanosheets formation is observed at 2 min deposition time. Inverted perovskite solar cells are fabricated using electrochemically grown CuSCN@CuI bilayer and tested its photovoltaic performance. The maximum short circuit current density of 18.24 mA/cm² and open-circuit voltage of 1080 mV is achieved for uniformly distributed triangle-shaped CuI nanosheets grown at 2 min deposition time. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.58% is achieved with 1400 h of stability. The moderate thickness (~180–230 nm) of bilayer CuSCN@CuI nanostructures showed better charge transport and photovoltaic performance. The favourable band alignment of the designed CuSCN@CuI/perovskite/PC₆₁BM/Carbon delivers stable open-circuit voltage than the earlier reports. The optimized bilayer CuSCN@CuI nanostructure with carbon back contact showed improved device stability.     

Analysis of partial trade credit financing in a supply chain by EOQ-based model for decaying items with shortages

By allowing shortages as backlogging, the impact on the cost from the decay of the products can be balanced out. To attract more sales, suppliers frequently offer a trade credit if the retailer orders more than or equal to a predetermined quantity. In this study, we analyze the partial trade credit financing in a supply chain by economic order quantity-based model for decaying items including shortages. We assume that the supplier may offer a partial permissible delay in payments even if the order quantity is less than predetermined quantity. Lemmas and theorems to determine the criterion for the existence and uniqueness of the minimum solution is subsequently developed. A computer code using the software Matlab 7.0 is developed to derive the optimal solution, and a numerical example is presented to illustrate the procedures of algorithm. The results in the numerical example indicate that the retailer trades off the benefits of full delay in payments against the partial delay in payments and always enjoys the full delay in payments. Finally, some important managerial insights are also inferred from the sensitivity analysis of the optimal solution with respect to the major parameters of the system.     

High performing Zn-embedded Ni9S8 nanosphere electrodes for Pseudo-supercapacitors

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - Highly electroactive Zn-embedded Ni9S8 nanosphere and its ZnS/NixS6-based nanocomposites were prepared by a simple hydrothermal route. The...     

Electronic properties of calcined materials from a scandium-O-phenylene-O-yttrium-O-phenylene hybrid copolymer

Calcination of a scandium-O-phenylene-O-yttrium-O-phenylene hybrid copolymer under an argon atmosphere at 400–800 °C was performed. The calcined materials were found to be composed of nano-sized Sc₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ particles in the matrix of carbon clusters. ESR spectral examinations of the calcined materials suggest that a two-step electron transfer of Y₂O₃ → carbon clusters → Sc₂O₃ → carbon clusters took place to provide a photo-responsive oxidation–reduction function with an oxidation site at Y₂O₃ particles and a reduction site at carbon clusters.